Becoming a Competent Nurse - Personal Statement Example

E- Portfolio Student’s Name: Grade course Tutor’s Name Introduction Hello and welcome to my nursing portfolio. I am a studying at the University of Australia, and am a second year student doing bachelors of nursing program. I also have a Bachelor degree in Human Resource Management at the Middlesex University at London. I also have a master degree in Business Administration with Marketing from the University of Australia. Currently, am working part time at the hospital. My portfolio includes some assignments from my program that I have done, and placements which act as evidence towards the meeting of the Competencies for the RN outlined by the ANMC. My portfolio also includes evidence of my learning and reflection plans, which give details about my CPD goals. From my studies, I have learnt a lot and a great deal, and I am looking forward to continue developing my experience and skills in this profession throughout my career. Nursing Philosophy Statement: My nursing philosophy statement is that health care is a right to all human beings, and all human beings are entitled to this right, and should be encouraged to take part in their own care, be it the quality of life, or even in the dignity of death (Anderson, Gardner, Ramsbotham and Tones 2009). My philosophy emphasises that it is the responsibility of nurses to provide patient- centred, holistic and safe quality health care to all people equally, without discrimination (Chitty & Black, 2007). Nursing is a profession as well as an art, and in this profession, human beings entrust their wellbeing and their lives on the hands of other human beings, the nurses (Wu 2008). The nursing profession requires a deep understanding of the psychological, emotional as well as the physiological needs associated with human beings. Florence Nightingale described a sculptor as having preparation and devotion in their work; this too applies to nurses who continuously invest in acquiring of knowledge about the nursing craft, so as to reach near perfection if not perfection (Chitty & Black, 2007). The nursing profession as well as the nurses are honed and moulded by complex and elaborate knowledge and skill attained through experience, academic study as well as through continuous research. Nurses have a commitment and an obligation to keep current in skills and knowledge as well as to seek self enhancement by doing continuous research and learning (Grossman & Valiga 2009). This will ensure that the nursing professionals do not remain stagnant in their knowledge and beliefs, but will embrace change and evolve professionally, and this should be through technological advancement and evidence- based practice (Wu 2008). With humanity in our society, people can be able to take care of each other. Nursing as a profession involves understanding, compassion as well as tenacity as these brings in humanity in the practice. It also requires patience with all the patients of all walks of life, as well as delivering quality health care to all (Wu 2008). The profession involves ethical and legal issues as well as intercommunication and inter-professionalism, but the core of nursing is in the humanity of persons and this is what binds the professionals in the health care filed. Nurses have a duty of acquiring knowledge in the line of their professional practice. This is significant in order to have an evidence- based practice (Chitty & Black, 2007). Nurse practitioner education assists in enhancing the scope and knowledge, as well as expanding a nurse’s current role (Anderson and Gardner, et al., 2009). Relationship and collaboration of all the people revolving around the patient determines the overall outcome of the patient. Proper communication is vital in providing health care, and it helps the organization, the patient, the family and all the persons involved. Having personal responsibility and observing ethical responsibilities reduces the mistakes done by the professional. Professional goal statement: My professional goal statement is to become competent nurse whose main aim and goal to provide and deliver quality health care to all people as it is their right, as well as to abide to all the ethical and legal requirements while learning as well as practicing nursing (Wu 2008). In order to provide quality health care to all people, evidence- based practice and intense research is necessary, and I intend to engage in this kind of practice, as it is the only way that can bring reforms to the nursing profession (Grossman & Valiga 2009). The current system, has led to changes in provision of health care. This has been possible because of continuity in change of time, technology and needs. The change is supposed to address issues of access, cost and quality, issues of equity, global health threats, and an aging population. Great inter-professional collaboration, with each organization having a crucial role to play, is needed to transform the health care system (Chitty & Black, 2007). My nursing personal perspective understands that reforms in the health care systems includes more than insuring more people, but also revamping the way the nursing professionals think about health, and deliver services (Wu 2008). This portfolio will relate my personal perspective and attitude in relation to other health practitioners. It will also look at the most useful insights in the reformation of health care. The health care profession is an integrated multidiscipline, and this makes it hard for a person to describe his or her attitude towards the profession (Grossman & Valiga 2009). To adjust one’s attitude towards the nursing practice is essential when administering care. Prevention of chronic diseases in the form of patient education and interdisciplinary collaborations reduce service duplication (Anderson, Gardner, Ramsbotham and Tones 2009). This also makes the health care to be cost effective, as well as affordable to people. By putting my professional goals into practice, I will be a part of the team that wants to steer the nursing profession to greater heights, as well as making the profession a calling, instead of any other job that gives a person a pay cheque at the end of the month. Nursing competencies: The state work together with the ANMC as well as nursing and midwifery regulation authorities (NMRAs) in order produce standards which are natural as an integral part of a regulatory system to help and assist midwives and nurses in their duty of delivering competent as well as safe health care (Australian Nursing and midwifery council 2006). These national competency standards provide nurses with a framework for assessing their competence. The national competency standards fall into groups: Professional practice: 1. Practises in accordance with legislation affecting nursing practice and health care. 2. Practises within a professional and ethical nursing framework. Critical thinking and Analysis: (Australian Nursing and midwifery council 2006). 3. Practices within an evidence- based framework. 4. Participates in on-going professional development of self and others. Provision and coordination of care: (Australian Nursing and midwifery council 2006). 5. Conducts a comprehensive and systematic nursing assessment. 6. Plans nursing care in consultation with individuals/ groups, significant others and the interdisciplinary health care teams. 7. Provides comprehensive, safe and effective evidence- based nursing care to achieve identified individual or group health outcomes. 8. Evaluates progress towards expected individual or group health outcomes in consultation with individuals/ groups, significant others and interdisciplinary health care teams. Collaborative and therapeutic practice: (Australian Nursing and midwifery council 2006). 9. Establishes, maintains and appropriately concludes therapeutic relationships. 10. Collaborates with the interdisciplinary health care team to provide comprehensive nursing care. Professional placement Journal: The learning process has been great and very important in my profession as a nurse. The knowledge has been highly instilled in me and I have the skills required in practicing as a registered nurse in the country. The knowledge I acquired during my professional course is on how to handle different diseases. The knowledge includes giving extra care to patients with acute diseases like diabetes and cancer. Though there were a lot of challenges during my learning process my attitude and belief remained positive about becoming successive in this field and giving the best services to the patients I treat. The situation was tough at the beginning and as time faded my learning even better. My knowledge was influenced by my experience while I was like ten years. My grandfather was diabetic and he was living at our home and I could feel so bad because of the problems he was having. My parents could not give my grandfather the required care because they did not have the professional skills as trained and registered nurses. I did not really understand the meaning of diabetes or any other diseases. Therefore, this was an inspiration to go and study as a nurse. I had an assumption that diabetes is curable and was wishing to have the professional knowledge and skills to help my grandfather return to his normal life after treating him. This helped me develop interest in learning about diseases. At that point internet and health journals were my sources of information and knowledge. As I continued with my research I learnt that diabetes is not curable but can be controlled and this could enable a patient to live a longer life if they controlled it in the best way possible (American Nursing Association 2010). After doing a lot of research I realized that diabetes is not curable and that is why I entered into this profession so as to learn to give the best care to those who are suffering to acute diseases such as diabetes. Through the internet and other health sources I development the knowledge on how one could control diabetes by ensuring they eat health food that will help maintain the level of sugar in one’s body. I felt disappointed when I learnt that diabetes could not be cured and this was the greatest challenge in my learning process. According to my experience and learning process I can conclude that though diabetes is acute and non-curable it can be controlled when one observes their diet in the best way possible. The questions I have been having for a long time is whether in future the scientists will be able to develop a cure for diabetes. I have carried out research on this issue and scientists are working on improving the current medications to make them cure the disease. Internet has proved to be the most updated source of information and knowledge. Therefore, to increase my knowledge and to breach the knowledge gaps I will carry out my research in the internet and refer to books and journals. References American Nurses Association. 2010. Nursing’s social policy statement. (3rd ed.). Nursebooks.org: Washington, DC. Anderson, D., Gardner, G., Ramsbotham, J., & Tones, M. (2009). E-portfolios: Developing nurse practitioner competence and capability. Australian Journal of Advanced Nursing, 26(4), 70-76. Australian Nursing & Midwifery council, 2006. National competency standards for the registered nurse. Australian Nursing & midwifery council: Australia. Buonocore, D. (2004). Leadership in action: Creating a change in practice. AACN Clinical Issues, 15(2), 170–181. Chitty, K. & Black, B. 2007. Professional Nursing: Concepts and Challenges. Saunders, Elsevier, Inc: St. Louis. Grossman, S., & Valiga, T. (2009). The new leadership challenge: Creating the future of nursing (3rd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis Company. Wu, X. 2008. “My Nursing philosophy as viewed through nursing paradigm”. Illuminations, 17(2), 5-7. Read More